Water-gun.



PATENTED SEPT. 29, 1903.

G. H. RADCLHPE. WATER GUN. APLIDATION FILED OQT.6. 1902.

N0 MODEL.

Patented September 29, 19GB.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES RADCLIFFE, 0F ELGIN, ILLINOIS.

WATER-GUN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 740,371, dated September 29, 1903.

Application iiled October 6, 1902 Serial No. 126,045. (No model.)

Beit knownthat I, CHARLES H. RADCLIFFE,

a citizen of the United States of America, and

a resident of Elgin, Kane county, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Water-Guns, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in guns adapted to discharge a stream of water from the rear end of the barrel into the face of the operator when the trigger is pulled. Guns of this character are used in initiating new members into secret societies; The gun has all the appearances of an ordinary firearm, and consequently the candidate for admission into the secret society thinks that the usual report will follow the pulling of the trigger. However, when the trigger is pulled the candidate receives a spray or stream of water full in the face, much-to the amusement of the onlookers.

Generally stated, the object of my invention is to provide a simple, efficient, and highly-improved gun of this character.

A special object is to providea gun of this description which may be discharged a number of times without reloading.

y Another object is to provide an improved arrangement whereby the gun may be easily loaded with water or other fluid.

It is also an object to provide certain features and details of improvement tending to increase the effectiveness and serviceability of a device of this particular character.

To the foregoing and other useful ends my invention consists in matt-ers hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a longitudinal section of my improved watergun, the barrel and also a portion of the stock being. broken away for convenience of illustration. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the forward end of the gun-barrel. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the rear end'of the plunger. Fig. 4 is a similar view of the rear end of the gun-barrel. Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the device for pulling back the trigger. Fig. 6 is a section on line 6 6 of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a section on line 7 7 cfFig. l. Fig. S isaperspective of the device shown in Fig. 5.

As thus illustrated, my improvedgun comprises a barrel and a stock B. The said barrel can be secured to the said stock in any suitable manner and can have its muzzle or forward end partially closed by a cap a. In accordance with the purposes of the gun the rear end of the barrel is preferably provided with a small valved discharge-opening a The plunger C for ejecting the Water from the rear of the gun is preferably tubular in form and provided at each end with a valve. The valve c opens inwardly under the pressure of the instrument inserted through themuzzle of the gun, while the valve c' opens outwardly. A rod c2 is provided as a means for opening the valve c'. The rear end of .the tubular plunger is preferably provided with a small packing-ring c3, so as to adapt it to serve as a head for ejecting the water from the chamber a2. 'I he spring D, which incluses the plunger and which is interposed between a shoulder c4 on the plunger and a shoulder as on the gun-barrel, tends to keep the plungerhead normally against the rear end of the gun-barrel. A projection c5 is preferably secured to the plunger and adapted to slide in a slot @4in the gun-barrel. A sliding piece E, havingla slot e, adapted to receive the projection c5, is provided and arranged for movement between the gu n-barrel and the stock.

The trigger F can be of any suitable character and is adapted to engage the said projection c5.

In order that the gun may have all the appearances of an ordinary firearm, the rear end of the gun-barrel is preferably provided with a socket a5, adapted to receive a cartridge X. Covering the socket is a pivotal hammer G, provided with a spring-pressed catch g. The rear discharge-opening a is continued by the opening g through this hammer. Thus the rear end of the gun-barrel is provided with what may be termed a dummy hammer, whereby the candidate for admission to the secret society is led to believe that a real firearm is being loaded. In loading the gun, a suitable instrument is` lpreferably inserted through the muzzle of the gun, so as to open the valve c', and the plunger isthen filled with water. It will also be observed that by cooking the gun-that is to say, drawing the plunger back to the position shown in Fig. 1

both valves can be opened simultaneously, so as to not only permit the filling of the plunger', but also so as to permit the chamber a? to be lled, it being observed that an inward movement of thevalve C causes the rod c2 to open the valve c'. In cooking the gun, as explained, the sliding piece e is employed for drawing back the plunger, so as to allow the trigger to engage the projection c5, and the said sliding piece is then returned to its normal position, as shown in Fig. l. this the gun can then be discharged by pulling the trigger, so as to allow the springpressed plunger to eject the water from the rear discharge-passages. At this juncture it will be understood that the passage a is provided with a spring which readily yields under the pressure of the water being ejected. Thus the object of this valve is only to prevent the ejection before the gun is discharged.

Now to reload the chamber 0.2 from the magazine provided by the hollow plunger it is only necessary to again employ the sliding piece E for drawing back the plunger, an eX- treme movement of the plunger causing the rod c2 to open the valve c sufciently to admit a part of the contents of the plunger to be transferred to the chamber a2. In this Way the cooking of the gun, or, in other words, the drawing back of the plunger, serves to automatically fill the chamber a2from the magazine. The gun is then ready for another discharge. Before'handing the gun to the candidate, however, the fake hammer G is first pulled back, it being held in its rigid position by the catch g, and a cartridge is then inserted in the socket in the rear of the gunbarrels. The hammer is then returned to the Aposition shown in Fig. 1,after which the gun is ready to be fired by the candidate.

It will be readily understood that the different valves can be of any suitable or ap-v proved character. The valve c' is, however, preferably provided With openings 1, which are uncovered by the rear end of thetube;

when the valve is pushed outwardly by the rod c2. This valve is held normally closed by the spring 2. A similar spring 3 is also employed for holding the valve c normally closed. Any suitable appliances may be employed for opening the valves and filling the gun. l

What I claim as my invention is- 1. A water-gun provided with a rear discharge-opening, having also a hollow spring- .actuated plunger adapted to provide a maga- After ejecting mechanism involving a spring-actuated plunger adapted to be held and released by said trigger, and an outwardly-opening valve in the rear end of said magazine-chamber and means for opening the same.

3. A water-gun provided with a rear discharge-openihg, and having also a tubular spring-impelled plunger with a valve at each end, and a trigger for holding and releasing the plunger, the valve at the forward end of the plunger opening inwardly, the valve at the rear end of the plunger opening outwardly, and means for operating said valves.

4. A water-gun provided with a rear discharge-opening, and having also a tubular springactuated plunger provided with a valve at each end, a member having a sliding connection with the said plunger, said member thereby being adapted to draw the plunger in a position to discharge the water and to then be returned toits normal position, and a trigger for holding the plunger in position to eject the water and adapted to release the plunger when pulled, the valve at the forward end of the plunger opening inwardly, the valve at the rear end of the plunger opening outwardly, and means for operating said valves.

5. A water-gun provided with a valved discharge-opening, and having a tubular springimpelled ejecting-plunger constructed with a valve at its rear end, and a trigger for holding and releasing the plunger, together with means for opening the valve at the rear end of the plunger to permit the water to pass from the latter into the discharge-chamber.

6. A water-gun provided with a rear discharge-opening, and having a tubular springactuated plunger adapted to hold a suitable quantity of water, the rear end of said plunger being provided with a valve whereby suitable charges are allowed to escape and accumulate in a position to be ejected by the plunger, and a trigger for holding and releasing the plunger, together with means for opening the valve at the rear end of the plunger to permit the Water to pass froln the latter into the discharge-chamber.

7. A water-gun provided with a rear discharge-opening, and having a tubular springimpelled plunger adapted to hold the water, the head of said plunger being provided with a valve operable from the muzzle of the gun, and a trigger for holding and releasing the said plunger.

8. A water-gun provided with a rear discharge-opening, and having a tubular springactuated plunger provided with a valve at each end, both of said valves being simultaneously operable from the muzzle of the gun, and a trigger for holding and releasing the plunger.

9. A water-gun provided with a rear discharge-opening, a tubular spring-actuated plunger provided at each end with a valve, said valves being operable from the muzzle IOO IIO

of the gun, a coil-spring surrounding the said plunger, and a trigger adapted to catch and hold the plunger in a position to eject the Water and adapted when pulled to release t-he plunger.

lO. A Water-gun provided with a rear discharge-opening and ej ecting meehanism,t-rig ger mechanism for holding` and releasing the ejecting mechanism, and a fake cartridge device.

v 11. A water-gun provided with a dischargeopening, and having suitable trigger and ejecting mechanism, and constructed with a socket adapted to receive a cartridge.

12. A Water-gun provided with a rear discharge-opening, and having suitable trigger and ejecting mechanism, and also constructanism for holding and releasing the plunger.

Signed by me at Elgin, Kane county, Illinois, this 22d day of September, 1902.

CHARLES `H. RADCLIFFE.

- Witnesses:

GRACE R. HAWKINS, ALBERTA H. RADCLIFFE. 

